Hello! I was recently accepted at Columbia and I wanted to know what the atmosphere is like. I have visited before, and I will be visiting again in about two weeks, and I’m pretty sure that I will be enrolling there. What is the environment like? Competitive? Cutthroat? Cooperative? I work best with other people, like in study groups, and I often go into teachers for extra help. Is there that same level of comfortability? I think I’m just afraid of being the dumbest kid there with no support. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Also what is the workload like? Are all nighters and no sleep a normal occurrence? I know the core can be a bit hefty.
You got in to Columbia because someone who knows a lot about what it takes to succeed at Columbia thinks you have what it takes. There is always going to be someone who seems smarter, more stylish, richer, etc. Don’t short change yourself by comparing yourself to them. Don’t worry about being the dumbest kid in class if you did the work because there is always someone who didn’t do the work because they drank too much, went clubbing last night, or just broke up with their boy/girlfriend.
Like every other elite college, students at Columbia are really driven. Getting extra help by going to professors’ office hours is one of the best strategies out there to maximize your educational experience. It is the best way to develop relationships, find mentors, and access special opportunities. If you might end up in a PhD program, that’s the only way to assure yourself a funded spot at a top program.
Study groups vary depending on the field - my sense is that there are more in STEM and a lot less in the humanities. No one ever gets enough sleep, but you shouldn’t have to pull all-nighters for the Core classes if you tackle the reading in a timely manner. Researching and writing your seminar papers and senior thesis will be far more difficult. If you did AP sciences in high school, the intro physics, chem, calc, bio, and orgo classes will be a grind but not different than anywhere else. Use the free tutoring services as much as possible if you did not have loads of AP/IB level work in high school and schedule regular time at the writing center if you might struggle writing at an Ivy level (you’ll find out in Uni Writing).
I don’t think in the sciences or math, the atmosphere is cutthroat or highly competitive. Collaboration is def encouraged there. I can’t say for the humanities or social sciences, but I don’t think that’s true there either. There is definitely competition and jostling for finance or consulting internships, but even so, I think people tend to be supportive of one another/their friends, and are just broadly more competitive. Everyone who wanted to go into those fields early on I think had no issue. Office hours are good overall and I think professors are generally happy to serve as a resource. Writing centre is good, tutoring is also good. I have used the former just to get more input - they are very capable.
This term is extremely busy for me, definitely my busiest so far, and I have a few psets + lab report(s) + quizzes weekly, but it’s not terrible. It’s just about prioritizing and time management.